The formal opening ceremony of the Prime Minister's Gold Cup national football competition has been postponed to September due to recent floods and ongoing board exams. However the tournament matches will proceed strictly according to the original schedule.
Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon announced the change during a press briefing at the Chittagong Press Club on Thursday afternoon.
Initially set for August 9 the centralized inauguration at Chittagong Stadium is now expected on September 9 or 10. The event will feature simultaneous participation from all upazilas across the country.
"Recent natural disasters flooding in Chittagong and board exam schedules delayed our preparations," the minister explained. "While the formal inauguration is delayed by a month with the Prime Minister's consent the sporting events will continue uninterrupted."
According to the official roster upazila-level secondary matches kick off on August 9 followed by higher secondary matches on October 6. District-level games begin August 27 culminating in the national-level finals from October 27 to October 30.
The minister highlighted the government's commitment to expanding grassroots sports, discovering talent and building a strong international athletic presence. Calling it a landmark event in Bangladesh's educational history he noted that over 16 million students from 40,231 institutions are slated to participate. He also assured that existing inter-school sports programs remain unchanged and will run alongside this tournament to further encourage student athletes.
Chittagong City Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain State Minister for Land Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin and MPs Abu Sufian and Md. Ershad Ullah were present at the briefing.
